Improvement in wire-cutters



UNITED STATES` PATENT OEEroE.

JAMES BRADY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.,

IMPROVEMENT IN Wl RE-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,681, datedSeptember 16, 1879; application filed January 24, 1879.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BRADY, of Brooklyn, in Kings county and Siateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInstruments for Cutting Wire, of which the following is a description.

The object of my invention is more particularly to provide aninstrumentfor cuttingoffsim ultaneously the ends of two wires7 metal rods, &c., toproduce correspondingly-inclined or otherwise matching faces, so thatwhen the ends are placed together and united by a coup` ling providedwith right and lel't hand screwthreads, a perfect scarf-joint is formed,which effectually precludes either of the wires from becoming unscrewedindependently of the other. The joints thus formed are particularlyapplicable for uniting the ends of wire used in bridge-cables and likestructures.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 designates a central verticalsection of an instrument embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a transversesection on the dotted line x m, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section ofthe dies for holdingthe wire, taken on the dotted line y y, Fig. l, Fig.4, a side view of two wires having inclined faces united by a coupling,and Fig. 5 a side view of two wires having faces formed to produce anangular lap united `by a coupling.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all theigures.

A designates the body of my instrument, which is, preferably, formed ofwrought-iron or steel. Itis provided with a inortise or opening, A',represented as of rectangular form, extending longitudinally through it,and with one or more transverse openings, B, intersectvide them withadjustable collars b, whereby the said bushes or dies are held securelyagainst inward displacement. To preclude outward displacement of saidbushes or dies, l employ caps D, which are preferably provided withinternal screw-threads, en gaging with external screw-threads uponbosses or hubs c, projecting from the body of the instrument.

d designates holes through lthe caps D, through which wires may beinserted.

In order the better to hold wires whilebeing cut, the bushes or dies Oare providledfwith internal. screw-threads through a portion of their`length, the screw-thread in one bush or die being right-haii ded, andthat in the other bush or diebeing preferably left-handed.

In order to better remove pieces of wire which might be broken off inthe bushes or dies, I form them in two or more sections, cf, (seeparticularly Fig. 3,) and provide their faces with steady-pins g.

By unscrewing either of the caps D, one bush or die may be withdrawnfrom its openings in the body A, and after the collar b is unscrewed,the two sections c f may be separated, allowing the pieces of brokenwire to fall out.

To prevent the bushes or dies from turning in the openings in the bodyA, I have shown them as furnished with longitudinal grooves h, (seeparticularly Fig. 3,) and the body as provided with feathers or splines1', projecting into the grooves h.

It is very desirable to have the bushes or dies O internallyscrew-threaded, as in that case the burr left upon the end of the wireafter cutting will be removed in unscrewing the wire from the bush ordie.

E designates a cutter, corresponding in shape to the mortise or openingA', and tting snugly therein.

F designates a screw, to which the cutter may be attached, and bywhichitmay be actuated. This screw is held in a screw-threaded socket inthe body A, and the cutter is attached thereto by means of a projectingiiange, j, which overlaps a collar, k, upon the end of the screw. Oneside of the flange j is left open, so that the cutter may be removedlaterally from the screw after the latter is detached from the body A.

A pin, Z, fixed to the body, forms a gage fo the movement of the screw.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of my invention. The wiresto be cut are, preferably, first provided with right and left handedscrew threads, and their ends introduced into the bushes or dies C. Thewhole instrument is then revolved about the axis of the bushes or diesC, and the wires are drawn inward into said dies or bushes by the actionof the right and left hand screw-threads in the bushes or dies G. Whenthe ends of the wire protrude suiliciently into the mortise or openingA', the cutter Eis forced down by means of the screw F, which may beturned by a wrench applied to its upper end, and the two wires are cutsimultaneously.

The form and arrangement of the dies G C and critter E represented arefor cut-ting wires to form a joint with oblique faces, as shown in Fig.4; but the dies may be suitably formed and arranged to cut off the endsof the Wires square or of any other form-as, for instance, of a form to'produce an angular lap, as illustrated by the joint represented in Fig.5.

By my invention lv produce an instrument by which the ends of two wiresmay be cut off simultaneously, having correspondinglyformed ends, sothat when secured by a coupling having a right and left hand thread,they will forni a perfect scarf-joint.

2. The combination, with a body provided with a mortise or openingextending longitudinally through it, and two transverse openingsintersecting said longitudinal mortise or opening upon opposite sides offemale screwthreaded bushes or dies iitted to said transverse openingsand formed in sections, substantially Kas and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the body A, with its mortise or opening A andtransverse openings B, bushes or dies C, collars b, caps D,

. cutter E, and screw F, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES BRADY.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, T. J. KEANE.

